1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of firearms, and to handguns in particular. The invention provides a clip which can be used to carry the gun, and which is removable and repositionable so as to allow the clip to be used on a plurality of different guns.
2. History of the Prior Art
There are many circumstances in which there is a legitimate need to carry a concealed weapon. For example, plain-clothes law enforcement officers need to carry firearms in an inconspicuous manner. Also, off-duty officers may need the same capability. But the same person who needs to conceal the weapon at certain times may also want to keep the weapon in a holster at other times, when concealment is not required.
Most modern semi-automatic handguns share common design parameters. FIG. 1 shows a right side view of a handgun 100 manufactured by the Springfield Armory. This model is the XD-S. Like other modern handguns, it has a composite frame 101, which incorporates a hollow handle 102 which receives a multi-cartridge clip 103, and a trigger assembly 104. A slide 105, which moves backward in reaction to each firing, enables the semi-automatic operation. The slide 105 incorporates a barrel 106, a chamber 107, and an ejector 108 which strips spent cartridges and ejects them from the chamber 107. The ejector 108, which pivots on roll pin 109, swings outwardly as spent cartridges are ejected.
It has been known to attach a clip to a handgun, so as to allow the handgun to be carried near the user's waist, with the clip engaging the user's belt or pants waistband. One example of such a clip is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,468 to Francis L. Kinnich. A concealed carry clip is disclosed for a semiautomatic pistol, such as a .45 caliber. The clip is attached to the slide stop of the weapon. Size and weight of the clip is minimized so that its effect on the bulk, weight or balance of the weapon is negligible. The clip may be rounded to avoid digging into material it is clipped over. The interior surface may be flat or rounded to provide a snug fit.
Another concealed carry solution provides a belt clip for carrying a handgun. The one-piece clip is screwed directly onto the handgun when it is desired to clip the gun to a belt, or removed therefrom when it is desired to carry the handgun in a holster.
One problem with previous solutions is that the clip is attached to the handgun with either existing screw holes or new screw holes that may be drilled and tapped into the handgun. Few gun owners are willing to drill into the body of a valued handgun.
Another type of concealed carry clip attaches to the rear cover plate of the slide. A drilled and tapped replacement rear cover plate is provided with the clip. After swapping the original rear cover plate for the drilled and tapped replacement cover plate, the clip is screwed to the replacement cover plate. For Glock handguns, a billet drilled and tapped aluminum cover is provided to replace the original composite plastic cover plate. An advantage to this arrangement is that the handgun can be returned to stock condition by substituting the original cover plate for the drilled and tapped replacement cover plate. A disadvantage to this type of clip is that it partially covers the right side of the slide so that the machined or molded friction slots at the right rear of the slide—which assist in pulling the slide back with the thumb and index finger—are covered with the clip, which has no friction grooves. Another problem with the design of the clip is that the machine screws that secure the clip to the replacement cover plate may be subjected to shearing forces that can cause the screws to structurally fail.